Automatic player piano



W. LANE.

AUTOMATIC PLAYER PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED MAYI9, 1917.

1,422,276. Patented July 11, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I 1 I Qwuemioz WAL rm LA m: l Wine uNlTED. STAT WALTER LA or OLLAN MICHIGAN- Au'ronarrc marl n rIANo.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11,

Application m May 19, 1am. Serial No. 169,670.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, W TE LANE, a citizen of the UnitedStatespresiding at I-Iolland, li Iichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Player Pianos. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic player pianos. i

The objects of the invention are: First, to provide in a pneumatic player piano an improved tone effect or tone volume regulatin means. H

econd, to provide improved means whereby a crash effect may be produced.

Third, to provide a common means for hastening the force with which the base and treble notes are struck. Y

Fourth to provide individual means .for regulating the foree'with which the base and treble notes are struck.

Further objects, and objects relating to structural details will definitely appear from the detailed description. to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the following specification. The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure which a preferred embodiment of invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in, which: i Fig. Iis a detail front elevation of a piano player embodying the features of my invention, portions only being illustrated, and these without particular regard'to relative s1ze.

FigII is a detail planview of the bellows and reg lator parts." V Fig. III'is an enlarged detail vertlcal section but a li'ne corresponding to the broken line of Fig. II, showing details of the air'connections. i

V s an enlarged detail transverse section on a line corresponding to line 4- l of Fig's. I and 'IIL showing further details of the air connectionsg V Fig. V is a detail section on a line correspondin" to line 5- 5 of Fig. III, showing still further details of the air connections.

Fig. VI is an enlarged detail section on a line corresponding to line ft-6 of Figs.

I and III, showing details of the air connectionsto the gate box.

Fig. VII is an enlarged detail section on a line corresponding to line 7 -7 of Fig. I.

In the drawing similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of thesection lines.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents the main frame of the instrumentand 2 the pedals. These pedals are connected to "the bellows or exhausters by suitable means, not' illustrated, the usual connections being satisfactory. l are reservoirs, the coverof the left hand one being removed to show the valves. i

The numeral 5 indicates the suction chest conduits which communicate with passages 6, one of said suction chests controlling the base action and the other the treble action, in a manner heretofore known. The pas sages 6 communicate with the exhausters 3 through the regulating pneumatics designated generally by the numerals 7. .he exhausters 8 are on the front of the front wall of the main air chamber 26 and the suction chests are on the rear of the rear wall thereof. The passages 6 communicate with the regulating pneumatics 7' through the boxes or chambers 8. The regulating pneumatics Tare connected to the gate box 9 through the valve chambers lOQthe-re being two ports 11 and 12 bctween tho pneumatics and the valve chambers and a single port 13 between the valve chambers and the gatebox. The ports ll are controlled by valves 14 carried by the diaphragms 15 adapted to be pneumatically actuated. Thechambers 16 behind the diaphragms are in communication through the passages 1'7 and conduits ortubes 18 to valves. designated generally b the numerals 19 in convenientoosition y r e on the front board "20. e

When'one of the valves 19 is opened the atmospheric pressure will :raise the diaphragm and close" itsvalve 14, thereby cutting off the passage of air therethrough."

At the same time the vacuum produced will cause theregulating pneumatic7 to partially close the valve 21. thereby cutting off still further the passage of air through the suction chest to whichthe regulating pneumatic is connected. In this manner a piano effect is produced. The ports 12 are controlledor regulated by the flap valves 21, which are formed of spring material and disposed so that they are normally open. However, when sufficient suction is exerted to actuate the pneumatic this valve is actuated to partially close the port the pneumatic being provided with an adjustable tappet or valve engaging membn 22,see Fig. III.

The regulating pneuinatics are held. nor

mally open or extended by the coiled springs 23, s iown in Fig. I. These springs are pro vided with adjusting or tensioning means so that the tension may be adjusted to regulate the action of the regulators. The details of the tensioning means are not shown, as they form no part of the invention, and. suitable tensioning means are known in the art.

The gate box 9 is provided. with a sliding valve or gate 241-, which may be adjusted to cover the port 25. If it is desired to produce a pianissimo effect, the gate 24 is partially closed over the port 25, thereby shutting off the passage of the air from the suction chest controlling both the base and treble clef and reducing the tone with which the notes are struck. This etlect can be further heightened by closing the valve 14:.

The port 25 communicates with the main air chamber 26, which is in communicatimr with the bellows 3 and reservoirs 4t, as is the usual practice.

The reservoirs are provided with the usual valves 27 and with a port 28 provided with a valve 29. This valve 29 is carried by a spring 30 which holds it normally open but allows it to close under the effect of the extra rush of air due to sudden or torce'tul pedalling, the result being that a loud or a crash eifect is secured. owing to the sudden increase in vacuum thus resulting. The strength of spring 30 is such that it yields to the suction or air movement and is thus adapted to close under the conditions created. The spring 30 is adjustable by means of the screw 31. so that the resistance to closing of: the valve may be regulated.

By the arrangement above described. the force with which the notes in either the base or treble action or in both are struck can be regulated to any desired degree. For instance when it is desired to secure a piano effect in the base action. the valve 14 controlling the base action is closed, and similarly, when it is desired to produce a similar effect in the treble action the valve 14 con.- trolling the treble action is closed. When it is desired to obtain this effect in both of the actions at the same time. the valve .l L may be closed or the port 25 may be partially closed by the gate 24. Varying degrees of softness may be produced by the combined action of the valve 14 and bv positioning the gate 24: in various positions relative to the port 25. V

When it is desired to produce a :torte effeet, the exhausters 3 are actuated sutliciently vigorously to close the valve 27, bu it when it is desired to SGCLU. a crash client the exhausters 3 are actuated vigorously enough to close not only the valve 27 but also the valve The reservoirs l: are thereby cut off from the cxhausters and the degree oi? exhaustion in the suction chest is increased to suchv an extent as to produce the desired effect. It should be noted that this effect can be regulated and, soltencd in either the base or treble action by closing the corresponding valve 14:, and it can also he reduced in both actions simultaneously by the proper manipulation ol. the gate 24'.

With the parts thus arranged and connected, the regulators 7 are disposed so that the connection to the exhaust chamber 26 is short and direct and. they are positioned so that the operating connections for these regulators are conveniently disposed.

l have illustrated and described my irnprovements in the 'l orm in which I have embodied the same in practice. I have not attempted. to illustrate or describe any 1nodi lications or other adaptations thereof. as I believe the disclosure made will enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to embody or adapt the same as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what T claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a structure of the class described, the combination with the cxhausters, ol. reservoirs communicating therewith and having a plurality of ports provided with normally open spring supported valves adapted to be closed by sudden actuation of said exhausters and at different esses. means for adjusting said springs. a gate box in communication with said exhausters, a pair ol suction chest regulating pneumatics, valve chambers between said regulating pncum atics and gate box communicating with said. pneumati cs through pairs of ports, valves for one port of each pair provided with manually controlled actuating means. and regulating valves for the other ports controlled by said regulating pneumatics and adjustable tappcts on said pneumatics for said valves.

2. In a structure of the class described, the combination with the exhausters, of rcservoirs communicating therewith and having ports provided with normally open spring supported valves adapted to be closed by sudden actuation of said exhausters, means for adjusting said valve springs, agate box in communication with said exha-usters, a pair of suction chest regulating pneumatics, valve chambers between said regulating pncurnatics and gate box communicating with said pneumatics through pairs of ports, valves for one port of each pair provided with manually controlled actuating means, and regulating valves for the other ports controlled by said regulating pneumatics.

In a structure oi the class described, the combination with the exhausters, of reservoirs communicating therewith and having ports provided with normally open spring supported valves adapted to be closed by sudden actuation of said eXhausters, a gate box in communication. with said exhausters, a pair or". suction chest regulating pneumatics, valve chambers between said regulating pneumatics and gate box communicating with said pneumatics through pairs of ports, valves for one port ot each pair provided with manually controlled actuating means, and regulating valves for the other ports controlled by said regulating pneumatics.

In a structure of the class described, the combination with the exhausters, of reservoirs coniimunicating therewith and having ports provided with normally open spring supported valves adapted to be closed by sudden actuation of said exhausters, a gate box in communication with said exhausters, a pair of suction chest regulating pneuinatics, valve chambers between said regulating pneumatics and gate box communicating with said pneumatics through pairs of ports, valves for one port of each pair provided with manually controlled actuating means, and regulating valves for the other ports controlled by said regulating pneumatics and provided with adjustable tappets.

5. In a structure of the class described, the combination with the exhausters, of reservoirs communicating therewith, a gate box in communication with said exhausters, a pair of suction chest regulating pneumatics comnumicating with said gate box through pairs of ports, valves for one port of each pair provided with manually controlled neumatic actuating means, and regulating valves for the other ports controlled by said regulating pneumatics and provided with adjustable tappets.

6. In a structure of the class described, the combination with the exhausters, of reservoirs communicating therewith and having ports provided with normally open spring supported valves adapted to be closed by sudden actuation of said exhausters, a gate box in communication with said exhausters, manually actuated means for controlling the passage of air through said gate box, a pair of suction chest regulating pneumatics, valve chambers between said regulating pneumatics and gate box communicating with through pairs of ports, valves for one port of each pair provided with operation controlled actuating means, and regulating valves for the other ports controlled by said regulating pneumatics. 8. In a structure of the class described, the combination with the exhauster means of reservoirs communicating therewith, a pair of suction chests, means for regulating the suction in said suction chests comprising a suction regulating pneumatic, and manually controlled means for regulating the suction in each of said suction chests individually, and separate manually controlled means for regulating the suction in both of said suction chests, the first and last manually controlled regulating means being arranged in series whereby the latter means can control the action of the other.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses.

WALTER LANE. [n 8.

Witnesses:

MARGARET L. GLAsoow, MARTHA J. Guneour. 

